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GameStop's Upcoming Android Tablet

An anonymous reader writes "GameStop has confirmed rumors that it is planning to jump into the tablet market with a device dedicated to gaming. '[GameStop President Tony Bartel said] this week that Android was capable of running what he called a "GameStop-certified gaming platform" and that GameStop would be self-branding existing tablet hardware built by an unspecified third-party manufacturer. ... GameStop will sell its gaming tablet alongside consoles and handheld gaming devices from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, and others, he said.' There's no release date yet, but the device is currently being tested by consumers. It will apparently ship with its own wireless controller."

12 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Why do we need subjects, Subject is THIS ARTICL by North+Korea · · Score: 2

    Sorry, but phone screen is way too small for gaming. It's okayish in a bus or so, but there's no way I would consider it fun time to take my phone to sofa or bed to play some games. And on top of that, laptop isn't really ideal for that either. I have a great gaming laptop, but it just doesn't allow relaxing like that on sofa or bed, while tablets do. And quite frankly, I would like to do something else than just read too. On top of that, I spend quite much time sitting down at the pool and having a few beers. Tablet would give me ideal entertainment for that. There's no way I'm going to take my laptop there, though.

  2. Wait for it by TennCasey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They'll sell them "new" but use the box as a display and have the actual units stored behind the counter, and they'll have mysterious signs of use.

  3. War Amphibians by kumanopuusan · · Score: 3, Funny

    The real question is: Does it have Battletoads?

    --
    Use of the words "good", "bad" or "evil" is almost invariably the result of oversimplification.
  4. OMG KEWL! MWF3 ON TABLET MOM! by Warhawke · · Score: 2

    "[W]e've created a controller that we're testing to really allow for immersive gameplay," he said. "It's hard to imagine how to stream a game—let's say Modern Warfare 3—onto a tablet and then play it with your finger."

    I was going to comment on any one of the seventeen inaccuracies/deceptions/downright lies about cloud gaming that can be construed from this statement, but, I don't know, it seems to speak for itself. I suppose this all explains why Gamestop has recently decided to pursue a business model only slightly more reputable than a pawn shop. Oh well, as long as parents have more money than parenting skills, I suppose the business model will flourish.

    Don't get me wrong. I'm a huge gamer, and my parents were very good about exposing me to video games. They also played the games with me or at the least watched to make sure my games were appropriate. And they sure as hell didn't give me a credit card to go out and buy whatever. Nor did I give them a list of demanded games. Seriously, if you ever want to despair for the fate of humanity being placed in our youth, go creep around Gamestop for a few tens of minutes.

  5. Bad Idea by Cronock · · Score: 3, Insightful
    I carry my iPad with me everywhere for business and for entertainment, not to mention browsing Slashdot. I also game more than I care to admit. I've played many a tablet games, and to be honest.. it's NOT a gaming platform, at least not in the current form.

    If they could use a controller, absolutely. But multi-touch gaming is just not convenient. A few games can pull it off and last the test of time, but nothing that's in the market that GameStop caters to. The controller is a MUST and it may make the machine a killer device, a portable console that doesn't suck.

  6. Dear Gamestop by Osgeld · · Score: 2

    You are incompetent in your current business model, and now you want to be a console brand with no software development backing you up? its not been nice knowing you.

    But what do I care, you were driven out of my town by a ma and pa shop which in this day and age takes real talent.

  7. excuse me while I laugh hysterically by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    (hysterical laughter automatically removed),
    this is insane. HP just liquidated their tablets, the Playstation Phone is falling flat, and the Playbook is almost bringing RIM into bankrupsy. Let's not forget the market leader, iPad, probably has a thousand games for less then a dollar.

    GameStop is probably the only dedicated Video Game store, and it is still in last place. They can't even manage to sell merchandise in it's original condition, and they hope to make an iPad killer?

    1. Re:excuse me while I laugh hysterically by Tei · · Score: 2

      What iPad killer?

      What GameStop seems to want, is to move his business to the digital world. Currently is a shop that sells box (that have a game inside), and want to sell bits... or more precisally, want to rent bits.

      Do you want to play a Playstation 3 or Playstation 4 game in your tablet PC? GameStop want you to pay a flat flee of 10$ montly to play demos and some games. You will not own the games, you will be renting the games for a limited period.

      This is like Blockbuster opening a service like Netflix. But for games.

      Rule of cool: Playing a Playstation 4 game in a tablet pc will be cool. If the tech delivers.

      --

      -Woof woof woof!

  8. Re:Will it be DRM locked? by Rennt · · Score: 3, Informative

    No. Google's apps do not contain DRM locking them down to particular devices. CM was simply violating Google's copyright.

  9. Re:GameStop by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It rhymes with flop.

    This one may flop, but it won't take long for someone to make one work. The cost of building these tablets is falling fast, while the capability of the hardware is ramping up with similar velocity. Screen size won't be a problem for long - I already hook up my Asus tablet to an external keyboard, mouse and HDMI out (to a full size monitor) when I'm doing office work on it. It feels light and responsive as it is, so the new quad core versions should fly.

    There's plenty of good looking games in Tegra Zone too, and I have no doubt that's just scratching the surface of what'll be available soon enough.

    It's a great thing that the computing world is finally routing around the damage that is Microsoft's desktop computing monopoly. It's well past time we had some real innovation in the field.

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  10. Not time yet by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

    There is no way whatsoever they can get a sizable and decent screen, a decent CPU, and a decent GPU into one package for a price that their average customer will pay, especially while simultaneously bundling a wireless controller.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  11. GameStop owns Kongregate by naroom · · Score: 2

    And Kongregate is a massive collection of Flash games. Many of them are left-mouse-button only. Their desire to make a gaming tablet makes much more sense given that information.